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Rabih Nabahani hands a customer a plate of Lebanese cuisine at the international corner of the UC

Only weeks ago, Rabih Nabahani stood without direction as she waited in line to file for unemployment. Today, she is scheduled to graduate from a culinary trade school with an internship in the UCLA Medical Center’s cafeteria behind her.

After losing her job in the travel industry, Nabahani “didn’t know what was going to come next.”

“I was waiting in the unemployment line when I saw a flyer for Saint Joseph’s Culinary Training Program. I have always loved cooking, so I signed up for the 10-week program,” Nabahani said.

The program includes six weeks of basic training and a four-week internship in food preparation and service.

Interns are provided with the background and skills necessary to find jobs in restaurants, hotels and hospitals, said Mark Dyball, executive chef of the Westwood and Santa Monica medical centers’ department of nutrition.

“It is a great program for unemployed people to get a taste of the food industry. Rabih had all her avenues closed off, but this program gave her redirection,” said Dyball.

The collaboration between Saint Joseph’s and UCLA began in August, when Saint Joseph’s requested that Dyball allow students in the program to intern at the medical center’s nutrition department and cafeteria.

“This is just one of many programs that we take part in, and Rabih’s story is inspirational,” said Rachel Champeau, spokeswoman for the medical center.  

Dyball said interns come to him with basic training in sanitary cooking, safety, and what he termed “knife skills.”

“I teach them based on what I feel they are ready for. Nabahani had so much ambition that I kept giving her more to handle,” he said.

In fact, Dyball made Nabahani responsible for directing preparation of Lebanese cuisine, which she introduced to the menu of the cafeteria’s international corner.

Presenting a variety of food ranging from Farouj Meshwe (roasted Lebanese chicken) to Baba Ganouj (eggplant spread), Nabahani said what she likes about the job is that she can make everything from scratch.

“It is like cooking at my home, and it is all very good and nutritional,” she said, as a server came into the kitchen announcing that Nabahani’s lamb shish kabobs were sold out.

Dyball said he likes having food from different cultures available to the cafeteria’s many diners, who purchase a total of 7,000 meals on an average day.

Every day, the menu offers a different ethnic food, ranging from Japanese to Mexican. Lebanese style food is prepared on Wednesdays, with Nabahani in charge.

“The best part of working here is that I get to cook food from my own heritage,” she said.

Nabahani said that during her internship she has been working four-hour shifts every weekday

Though this week concludes her internship as well as her culinary training program, Nabahani has just begun her work in the kitchen.

Soon after starting the program, she decided to begin training as a chef. Nabahani is currently enrolled in the Los Angeles Trade Technical Community College, where she is pursuing a career in the culinary arts.

Nabahani is also considering pursuing an employment opportunity at the UCLA Medical Center cafeteria.

“This program has really opened a lot of doors for Rabih, and given her the direction she needed in her career,” Dyball said.